Faith leaders condemn Adani coal mine

Wednesday 24 May 2017

In
the face of political repudiation of scientific consensus about climate change,
leaders from many religious traditions in Australia are championing truth and
the environment over wilful neglect of the evidence.

The
Rt. Reverend Professor Stephen Pickard (pictured), Executive Director of the Charles Sturt
University (CSU) Australian
Centre for Christianity and Culture (ACC&C) in Canberra, recently
joined with ten other respected senior religious and academic leaders to sign an
open letter urging the federal government to reject the proposed massive Adani
coal mine in the Galilee Basin in Queensland.

The
letter begins, 'As leaders in our diverse faith traditions, we feel compelled
to challenge those responsible for Australia's current climate and energy
policies. In particular, we declare the proposal to provide public money to
fund mining infrastructure in the Galilee Basin to be morally wrong.

'The
reality of human-caused climate change is settled science. Now it is time for
action. We believe that people of goodwill must work together to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions as a matter of emergency, and to prepare for the
inevitable consequences of the climate disruption already caused by earlier
decisions.'

As
a signatory to the letter, Professor Pickard endorses the premise shared by his
colleagues that given the climate emergency that the world now faces, it is
morally irresponsible for Australia to allow the building of any new coal
mines, coal-fired power stations or other fossil fuel infrastructure.

"Regardless
of the science of climate change that confronts us, it is simply bad policy for
relatively short-term gain to promote coal-based industrial development that
has the potential to negatively impact existing and long-term future of agriculture,
water resources and tourism across large areas of Queensland.

"It
is simply irresponsible and baffling that our political leaders are putting our
climate and water supplies in jeopardy."

Professor Pickard and his fellow signatories called on
the government ' … to show strong, visionary leadership, for the sake of their
fellow Australians, for the millions of vulnerable people on earth, for future
generations who have no say of their own, and for all of creation'.